- Brittany Ngo, 38, had Botox injections to relieve chronic pain from a nerve condition.
- After a few days, he developed a crooked smile that only got worse.
- Facial drooping is a possible side effect of Botox that only goes away when the Botox wears off.
Brittany Ngo, 38, had never tried Botox before. But when her doctor suggested it as a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, a nerve condition that causes chronic facial pain, Ngo decided to give it a try.
Although Botox is known for reducing wrinkles, it can also be used to treat many medical conditions such as migraines and teeth grinding.
Ngo, who usually experiences “really bad toothache” on her left side and upper jaw, received about a dozen Botox injections around that area.
But days later, she noticed that the left side of her face began to sink into a crooked smile. While she said the neurologist who administered the Botox warned her of a “slight drooping of the face”, the side effect kept getting worse.
Her smile became more crooked in the week after her injections
Ngo said her smile became crooked four days after the Botox, but “by the eighth day, it was really extreme.”
He decided to ask the r/30PlusSkinCare Reddit community, as he “argued that a lot of people do botox there and probably know the answer better than some of the other places I looked.”
The comments were full of concern. Some people were concerned that he had a Stroke the Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis. She decided to take Reddit’s advice and see her neurologist again.
The side effect will go away, but it will take months
The neurologist confirmed that Ngo did not have a stroke or Bell’s palsy, but that she was experiencing an extreme side effect of the Botox injections. Ngo was told it was probably caused by too high a dose of Botox in that area.
The doctor encouraged her to take pictures and videos for future sessions so that the treating neurologist would know to dilute the botox and stay away from that part of her face.
Until then, all Ngo can do is wait for the Botox to wear off naturally, which usually happens around three month markalthough it may take longer.
Ngo got the treatment on Nov. 1 and said that more than a month later, she hasn’t seen any improvement in her smile.
Ngo isn’t sure if she’ll get Botox again
Ngo said she has adjusted to her sense of smile and hasn’t had too many problems with eating. The biggest annoyance was going out in public.
“When I look in the mirror, it looks crazy,” Ngo said. “I did some PTA events and everyone thought I had a stroke.”
While her appearance hasn’t stopped Ngo from living her life, she said one thing she will miss is taking vacation photos with her family this year.
As for getting Botox again, Ngo said she’s on the fence. She experienced a slight improvement in her facial pain and was told she would start to feel better by her second or third session.
At the same time, he worries about going through it again.
“With neurologists, I think their number one concern is pain,” Ngo said. “I don’t think they necessarily bring the cosmetic into focus when they apply it.” She’s wondering about seeing a plastic surgeon, but isn’t sure how that would work with her insurance.
For now, he sits tight and laughs off the situation.
“I’ve always been someone who politely rolls with the punches,” he said. “I started getting sick a little over two years ago neurologically, and since then, I’ve just been taking things day by day.”